The present invention relates to an apparatus for fitting together cup-like containers and packaging carriers which engage same and which are supplied by a guide means to the containers which are carried by a conveyor member.
A machine for assembling containers and carriers is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,943. That machine has a rotor, by means of which a film or foil is applied to pots or containers which must be gripped by shoes or jaws, in which case they may possibly suffer from deformation.
DE-OS (German laid-open application) No. 23 04 561 provides that the film or foil is fed from a reel-like guide means to two coaxial discs on which the film or foil is joined to the containers which are supplied between stationary guide rails, acting as conveyor members. The final products obtained are in the form of multi-row packages comprising foil-encased pots or containers.
The above-described apparatuses are not suitable for joining substantially stiff, sleeve-like packaging carriers, as are disclosed for example in DE-OS (German laid-open application) No. 30 29 047, to cup-like containers, in a sample and inexpensive manner. The sleeve-like packaging carriers comprise a carrier plate or panel having two strip portions flanking the carrier plate, and a cover plate or panel which is connected to the carrier plate or panel by means of the side edge strips, to form a square or rectangular sleeve cross-section. The carrier panel is provided with openings into which the upper portion of a respective container, which has an edge collar or flange portion, is fitted, until the collar or flange portion engages behind the marginal portions of the respective opening, whereby it is clampingly held in position. In that clamped position, the above-mentioned edge strip portions, with strip-like regions of the carrier panel, form marginal beads or edge configurations, the cross-sections of which substantially form isosceles triangles. The edge configurations or marginal beads are joined together by transverse strip portions which in turn provide edge portions for the openings.
Such units comprising the sleeve-like packaging carrier and containers which are clampingly held in the openings therein, in particular yogurt containers, have already proved themselves to be successful under practical conditions of use, but hitherto still had to be fitted together in a comparatively expensive manner.